Police and fire overtime and staffing become flashpoint in Peabody budget talks

Peabody — Public safety overtime and staffing were central at the June 16 finance committee meeting as councillors sought ways to reduce recurring overtime costs without degrading emergency response.

Police overtime: The police chief reported year‑to‑date overtime running near the adopted budget; councillors pushed for lower overtime through hiring and better scheduling. A motion to reduce the police overtime appropriation by $100,000 failed on a roll‑call vote (motion did not carry). "If we tighten our belts and push for efficiency, this is probably the only line item in your budget that you can actually improve on," Councilor Gamash said; the police chief described training and field‑trainer paperwork as drivers of some overtime hours.

Fire overtime and staffing: Fire union leaders and the fire chief described improvements in overtime compared with the prior year and pledged further efforts to reduce OT. The mayor proposed a follow‑up: he said he will meet chiefs and unions to explore reallocating some overtime funding (the mayor suggested shifting funds toward hiring full‑time positions) and asked for a concrete plan before final budget votes.

Union and operational context: Union representatives told the council that recent strike‑related details and a period of many long‑term injuries had driven spikes in overtime in prior years, and that hiring and return‑to‑work of several members have substantially reduced pressure this year.

What this means: Councilors and the administration signaled they will pursue a more detailed reallocation plan, including potential use of overtime lines to fund targeted hires. For now the council left public‑safety appropriations in place pending the section‑by‑section budget votes and a follow‑up discussion with chiefs and union leaders.